'She Didn't Deserve This At All': Man Charged With Abuse Of Corpse After Neighbors Find His Girlfriend's Body In A Refrigerator

MCKEES ROCKS, Pa. (KDKA) -- One person is in custody and charged with abuse of a corpse after a decomposed body was discovered inside a refrigerator in a McKees Rocks apartment building.

Daryl Jones, the boyfriend of the woman whose body was found, has been charged and is behind bars at the Allegheny County Jail.

According to the criminal complaint filed by police, Jones has a violent past. Neighbors in the apartment building say Jones and the victim fought often.

It was just before 10 a.m. Monday when McKees Rocks Police arrived at the apartment building on Helen Street after residents there said there was a foul odor.

County police then stepped in to investigate, and say they found a decomposed body in an unplugged refrigerator in a common area of the building.

"I'm not even sure it was a person at first. I saw a hand and a dirty sheet. It was gruesome," neighbor John Starling told KDKA Monday.

Police checked out all of the floors inside and found the odor was also coming from the basement. That's where they say they noticed bags of bed sheets, heavy and wet from bodily fluids.

They also found items with the victim's name on it near Jones' apartment.

The body was later identified as Kristy Jefferson. She was reported missing at the end of April. Right now, the medical examiner is working to learn her cause of death.

Meanwhile, the family of the victim is trying to understand why something so horrific happened to her.

KDKA has learned Jefferson was the mother of four children -- all under the age of 18.

Her family tells KDKA they felt she was in a bad relationship and in danger.

"Discovering this information has been very hard for the family," said Kenyatta Jefferson, a cousin of the victim.

"It's hurting us. She didn't deserve this at all," said Delisha Porter, the victim's sister.

Daryl Jones' preliminary hearing is scheduled for July. Bail for Jones was denied, as he is being considered a threat to the community and to himself.

Stay With KDKA.com For More Details